Today I launched a crowd-funding opportunity for my giant Britten tour for next year that could see your name on a screen at the end of my concert – 50 times around the UK! An outstandingly creative company called Yeast Culture (who created the award-winning visuals for Akram Khan’s latest show) are creating a stop-frame animation to go with Britten’s third suite – we’ve been working closely on the content and you can see a preview of the beautiful oil-paints-on-backlit-glass effect here. I recently heard that two applications to trusts had been unsuccessful, so am launching this initiative to cover the shortfall in the film’s budget, and also to provide for a roadie/engineer for the 1000s of miles we will travel around the UK.

The tour, Around Britten, is my biggest ever project, and one that could not be more of an all-consuming passion! The 50 concerts and 50 workshops will feature Bach, Tavener, commissions from James MacMillan, Dai Fujikura and Norwegian DJ Jan Bang, and the piece with the visuals: Britten’s Third suite for solo cello.
Please, if you can, just donate £10 and if enough people chip in, we’ll get there (of course, if you feel like giving lots more, don’t let me stop you!).

You can see lots of details by going to the Around Britten page (top left), but concert performances will include South Forland Lighthouse, Peak Cavern (The Devil’s Arse), Bodiam Castle, Manchester Victoria Baths, the Wigmore Hall, Canterbury Cathedral, Shetland Arts Centre and many more.
Workshops will take place in schools, hospices for children, prisons, schools for autistic children, universities and homes for the elderly.

EVERY DONOR WILL BE LISTED BY NAME ON SCREEN AT THE END OF THE PERFORMANCE (LIKE ‘THE LORD OF THE RINGS’, BUT PROBABLY A BIT SHORTER), SO THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO BE ON SCREEN!